Authorities ID Princeton blast victim

There are no signs of foul play in the explosion in a Ball Hill Road house that claimed the life of the occupant Thursday, a spokesman for District Attorney Joseph P. Early said Friday.

The resident, Rick Conway, 61, was the only person home at the time of the fiery blast, according to officials.

Some witnesses said they were alerted to the fire by a loud explosion at the split-level home at 140 Ball Hill Road. The cause of the fire remained under investigation Friday.

“We believe this was some sort of gas explosion,” Acting Fire Chief John Bennett said Thursday after the 10:30 a.m. fire was extinguished. It had burned for more than an hour.

Neighbors say Mr. Conway had been living in the house that belonged to his mother, who had recently moved to a nursing home. The house is owned by Daveeda A. Conway, according to town records. An oil tank in the basement caught fire, according to officials, and there were propane tanks inside and outside the house. The propane tank outside the house did not catch fire.

State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan said the exact cause of the explosion was being investigated by state troopers assigned to the fire marshal's office and local officials.